The initiative was intended to create an internal digital BBC archive of content that staff could access, upload, edit and then air from their computers, but was branded a "complete catastrophe" by the BBC trustee Anthony Fry when he gave evidence to MPs in June.

There are also understood to be some concerns raised about the impact of the swift closure of the project on the assets that were created by DMI.

MediaGuardian has obtained a copy of the governance and guidance structure of DMI, which shows it was organised in three sections – executive, steering and leadership.

BBC chart on governance and structure of DMI PR

Former BBC finance chief Zarin Patel led the finance committee which "approves the business case and any significant changes to it", while the suspended chief technology officer John Linwood led the steering group which "maintains the programme vision and strategic alignment, advises and directs on all material issues."

Also involved, according to the internal BBC document, was former director general Mark Thompson, who chaired the "business direction group", along with Raymond Le Gue who "leads the project team, mitigating risks and driving decisions."

It is understood that Linwood has been robustly defending his position via lawyers, but the BBC has not been paying his legal costs.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of DMI being closed, staff have complained that one of the project's components regarded as a success, called Fabric, is worse than Infax – the system it was supposed to replace.

Fabric was supposed to be used to source TV archive material and then call it up without the need for tapes being couriered from the BBC's archive in Perivale, in north-west London, to Broadcasting House in central London.

However, with the closure of DMI and the archive still not fully digitised, staff are left with what they say is a clunkier system that takes longer to use than Infax and still requires tapes being delivered to Broadcasting House.

To make matters worse, Infax is being switched off in March and 24 posts are due to be closed in the BBC's archive and information department.

Following the PwC report, the National Audit Office and MPs on the public accounts committee, both already highly critical of the BBC's handling of executive redundancy payoffs, will be looking again at DMI.

Thompson – who is now president and chief executive officer of the New York Times – had been due to appear before the PAC in January, but that has now been delayed until he is in the country on business.

A spokesman for the PAC said of Thompson: "He will be attending. There's a negotiation going on about dates. We're keen to ensure we do not spend public money on flights."

Separately, the BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, has turned down a Freedom of Information request for a copy of the paper on DMI mentioned in executive board minutes in June 2011.

Patten intervened under section 36 of the FOI Act, saying that disclosure would be likely to "inhibit the free and frank provision of advice from BBC staff to senior managers."

The BBC Trust declined to comment.

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